10 Faces Of Food Assistance In 2014

From Ebola-hit countries in Africa to Syria,Iraq and the Philippines, food assistance played its part again this year in helping families get through emergencies. Here are 10 people in 10 different countries who received assistance in 2014 thanks to WFP’s supporters – governments, companies and individuals.

Philippines

Three months after Typhoon Haiyan swept his home away, this grandfather, holding his grandson, thanked WFP for continuing to provide food assistance to families as they rebuilt their lives. Photo: WFP/Dale Rivera

Central African Republic

As violence continued to rock the country in 2014, WFP provided food rations to hundreds of thousands of people who were forced to flee their homes. Among them was Ashta, who is seen here cooking a meal for her family in a makeshift kitchen. Photo: WFP/Rein Skullerud

Lebanon

Ali, 14, is a Syrian refugee now living with his parents in Lebanon. His family receives WFP food vouchers which allow them to choose what food they want at a local supermarket. “I don’t know what would have happened to us without the vouchers,” he said. Photo:WFP/Sandy Maroun

South Sudan

An inter-agency needs assessment report from June found that the due to a lack of mobility, the elderly are at greater risk if they need to migrate to find food. Jal Bitien says she has resorted to eating wild grasses to survive. Photo:WFP/Jackie Dent

Guatemala

Hugo Jolón, from Guatemala, is one of about 2.5 million subsistence farmers who have seen their crops decimated this year by drought. Jolón lost all his maize crop and needed food assistance to get through the crisis. Photo: WFP/Francisco FiónRead Hugo's story

Gaza

This is Eman (23), and children Rimas and Jiwad. Their house was destroyed during the Gaza conflict in July 2014. Her family is staying in a school in Al Maghazi, Gaza, and receiving ready-to-eat food rations. It’s not clear when they can return home. Photo: WFP/Colin Kampschoer

Sri Lanka

Kaanchanan from Sri Lanka is healthy now and proudly shows he can help his family work the land. One reason he can do this is that he received special nutritious food from WFP to help fend off malnutrition. He lives in an area where poverty puts many children at risk of malnutrition. Photo: WFP/Nagarajah Sathyaruban

Syria

Um Zuhour, whose family used to run a textile shop in Aleppo, lost her husband and home in the war. She and her 4 daughters are now among the millions of displaced inside Syria. She gets some seasonal work picking apples and olives. In addition, the family receives oil, flour, lentils from WFP. Photo: WFP/Hussam Al Saleh
Read Um Zuhour's story

Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone was one of the three West African countries hit hardest by the Ebola outbreak. Ebola survivor Kadiatou cooks her meal, made out of the WFP-provided food, at Ferry Junction area, Freetown. Photo:WFP/Djaounsede Pardon

Iraq

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Retired construction worker Hajji Maratalu fled his home in northern Iraq as ISIS moved in. As winter closes in, he is living with his wife and son in a partially constructed building in the Duhok governorate. He is among the 1 million displaced Iraqis who have received WFP food assistance since the start of the crisis. Photo: WFP/Mohammed AlbahbahaniLook at the photo-gallery

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Author: Martin Penner

Martin Penner, a former journalist, has been working for WFP since 2008. He deals with strategic digital communications and is based at WFP's Rome headquarters.